There are strong indications that a pension-cutting bill will emerge in the Illinois House tomorrow (Tuesday).
While there are strong indications that the bill has been assigned a number, given that bill numbers can easily be changed, the IEA message remains the same, without a bill humber. When there is a bill number, it will become part of the updated IEA message.
It’s imperative that every IEA member pick up the phone and call his/her representative and senator. To be connected to your legislator call:
888-412-6570
PLEASE SHARE THIS NUMBER WITH IEA MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
Download the new pension fact sheet Use it during your call to your legislators.
Lawmakers must be told:
- They must support only constitutional solutions that are agreed to by IEA and the other employee unions.
- They cannot let the pension problem be fixed solely on the backs of teachers, higher education faculty and other public employees.
- They must oppose any “fast track” attempts to ram through solutions.
Legislators must hear these messages directly from IEA members.
“It is crucial that the legislators hear the actual voices of their constituents – our members,” said IEA President Cinda Klickna. “We’ve sent thousands of emails, but now we need to move to the next level. That means getting on the phone and talking directly to lawmakers.”
Throughout Illinois, IEA members, along with members of other public employee unions, are rallying, picketing, writing letters and otherwise making an impression on elected officials.
“Our organizing efforts have been outstanding,” Klickna said. “But we must do more. Our members need to get on the phone and call their legislators immediately.”
On Wednesday (May 23), more than 1,300 supporters of a fair and constitutional pension solution rallied at the headquarters of AFL-CIO. President Klickna was among the speakers.
Here are more examples of member action aimed at preserving pensions:
- Through the IEA Website, IEA members sent over 66,000 messages to the governor and legislators urging them to stop the fast track legislation. Website activity for the week was the highest ever.
- IEA members flooded several legislators’ phone lines with calls about pensions.
- More than 100 teachers, ESPs and school administrators from IEA Region 30 rallied Friday at the Orland Park office of State Representative Charles Krezwick. (Click here for more photos and the inspiring personal reflections on the rally by teacher Kristin Cochran.)
- Like other regions and locals, IEA Region 52 (Naperville-Aurora area) used push e-mail to send member alerts. Over 400 members responded and contacted legislators.
- The IEA Retired Council postponed its meeting and lobbied at the State Capitol on Thursday.
- The Association of Plainfield Teachers trained building representatives and held 10-minute meetings in all buildings the next morning. Participants sent e-mails, texts and made telephone calls to legislators right then.
- IEA leaders and members in Region 15 combined efforts with the Illinois Federation of Teachers and other coalition partners and rallied at State Senator Sue Rezin’s office in Peru. The effort drew excellent media attention.
“These are the kinds of efforts that really count,” President Klickna said. “We’ve got to continue them and not let up. In particular, we urge members to phone their legislators directly and tell them to forget the fast track. The legislature needs to work with the coalition to find a fair and constitutional solution.”
For a few highlights of local and regional organizing efforts last week, click here.
Illinois Education Association is an association of more than 130,000 members composed of Illinois elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.
Let’s look to term limits and voting against Lisa Madigan. That family NEEDS to be eliminated from Illinois politics. How about changing the way areas get State aid? If the area pays into it then they should receive it. Who’s with me on a “Tea Party” in Lake Michigan????
I oppose the pension bill
My vote is NO messing with one of the only things that has been working for its employees.
You could stop borrowing from a healthy retirement plan and pension and just let the teachers take care of themselves.
Are those who are making these major decisions aware of the fact that the teachers in this state did not pay into the social security system because we were paying heavily into “Our pension system” instead? Some of us (probably many) took the 5.5% upgrade so we would receive more on our pensions. If we are being lumped into a general fund with those who have paid less in, where is the fairness? Plus we had to take extra classes just to maintain our jobs.
It sounds unconstitutional and beyond unfair.
While speaking with my Senator, Shane Cultra he was explaining the proposal of choosing between the COLA or health care. My reply to him was that what they were actually asking us was do you want us to cut off your left hand or your right hand? For many of us in the lower retirement bracket that is exactly what they will be doing, we cannot afford to make that choice.
I called my representatives and I told them basically the following message:
I am a teacher and a voter in your district and I am concerned and angry about what appears to be an attempt by the Illinois governor and assembly to take the economic concerns of the state out on teachers. School teachers, through school or personal payments, have paid our fair share of retirement costs. The state has failed to pay its portion for years; as a result, there appears to be a pending crisis in regard to the program’s ability to meet its long-term obligations.This is not our fault. We are not the ones who let the money be redirected year after year; we are not the ones who should bear the burden; we are not the ones who should be vilified in the press.
Teachers do not collect Social Security. The state has indicated that it will cut COLA benefits, reduce pensions, cut off access to health insurance, limit wage increases figured into retirements, and require teachers to work more years, and yet one representative who is endorsing this said that the intention is not to harm teachers! We were given a constitutional guarantee that we would have a living wage after retirement; the plan, as I see it, would put us in penury, with no hope of maintaining our health or lives–and this is “no harm”!
I am not averse to paying taxes on my coming retirement; I am not averse to doing my fair share. I am averse to being misrepresented in the news, through misleading statements by government officials who are my elected representatives. I am averse to the creation of a “retirement system” that will drive that will drive good, young teachers out of Illinois, as they face years of work for very little long-term benefit. The future of Illinois children is being put at risk.
By the way–where is the plan to reduce/remove the retirement/benefit package of the governor and the representatives?
Make no deal, fight this in court and we will win!
Based on what I read in the Tribune today with the proposal of the state FORCING retirees to make a choice between COLA or health care, what would would happen if every retiree REFUSED to make a choice stating it is unconstitutional to make changes to retirees benefits?
To our legislators,
Many of us who taught for many years in Illinois are deprived of receiving one half of our deceased spouse’s Social Security benefits. This is not true in all other states, and it is a hardship on us. Now we are being told that other cutbacks may affect our pensions and/or the cost of living increase! Please uphold the constitution of the State of Illinois in determining a solution for the problem which we teachers did not cause. Thank you for being fair.
Whatever the legislators vote to do with our pensions, we should vote to do with theirs.
Has anyone at IEA heard of the part being added that prohibits school districts from paying the teachers part of the TRS payments? If so is this from this point going forward. (ie any increase from the 9.4% or for those that don’t have this benefit). Or is it eliminating it all together and thus for those of us that have it wouldn’t have it after our current CBA expires.
Also part of these talks have been districts having to pay 1% more each year as part of the shifting of the cost to the local districs.
Interesting news out of IASA based on their talks. There is now talk that the increase in age and increase in employee contributions may not be included.
Also part of this is that districts would be prohibited from paying the teachers portion of the TRS payments upon completion of the current CBA.
Cinda,
This is more than just telling legislators to forget the fast track. I am not sure why the talking points have changed. The Illinois constitution is suppose to protect our pensions. If we agree to any changes that in any way diminish our pensions we are in essence giving them permission to break the law.
Beata,
Agreed. If they do it without our agreeing to the changes and in essence they break the constitutional laws of the state of Illinois, is it possible for IEA to file a class action lawsuit against legislators?
Please do not diminish our pensions. I have taught for 33 years, caring about Illinois children, now to be faced with an about-face on what I hoped would be a time when I could reap the benefits of my efforts for all these years. I did my part, but the State of Illinois did not and now I face a terrible dilemna— no Social Security and a reduction in the income I hoped would sustain me in my later years. I think the State of Illinois should live up to their promises and not penalize those who have worked in good faith for all these years!